Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.

What is the value of long school holidays?

What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In several countries primary and secondry schools closes for two or more months in summer.Although long school holidays provide resting time period for students from the academic pressure , On the other hand shorter breaks ensure learning contuinuity and continious academic performance evaluation.

Longer summer vocations not only provide the resting time period for students but also give them time to spend around their family and do some their favourite activites like continuing their hobbies in consistent way which is not sometime possible in school schedules or visiting rural areas or countryside areas to experience the slow life and relax their minds form city or academic life which include hectic life from the pressure of assignments , quizzes and other stuff.

While shorter breaks have other benefits like consistent learning and continious performance evaluations. Students are less likely to forget the previously learned stuff from school.Parents face less problems related to childcare which also sometimes give then financial burden in terms of admitting children to childcare centers if they are busy in work life.

In conclusion both types have their own benefits .Longer breaks helps students to go thorough their favourite hobbies , explroes or visit some areas they like and spend time with their families.On the other hand give students benefits in terms of continious learning habits and evaluations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and maintain a relevant comparison: long holidays allow rest, family time and hobbies, while shorter breaks may support learning continuity and reduce childcare costs. These are appropriate ideas, but several are asserted rather than explained. For example, you say students are “less likely to forget” material without showing how shorter breaks help, and the childcare point would benefit from a concrete explanation or example. The conclusion repeats the main points but does not add a clear, fully developed final position. The response also contains 220 words, so it does not meet the required minimum of 250; this limits the space available to develop and support your ideas. Expand each side with specific reasoning or an example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on longer holidays, one on shorter breaks, and a conclusion. The contrast between the two positions is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “On the other hand” help signal the comparison. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, and the opening sentence joins contrasting ideas with a comma and a capitalised “On.” The long-holiday paragraph also packs several points into one extended sentence, making the relationships between rest, hobbies and travel less clear. The conclusion’s “On the other hand” clause is not a complete sentence. Use clearer sentence boundaries and develop one main idea at a time to make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “academic pressure,” “learning continuity,” “performance evaluations,” “childcare” and “financial burden.” These choices show an attempt to discuss both educational and family impacts. However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural combinations are noticeable, such as “secondry,” “vocations,” “contuinuity,” “continious,” and “resting time period.” Some phrases are also vague or repetitive, including “other stuff” and repeated references to “areas.” These issues sometimes make the intended meaning less precise. Proofread spelling carefully and choose more natural collocations; for example, “summer holidays,” “a chance to rest,” and “maintain learning progress” would express your ideas more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including the opening contrast and the “not only … but also” construction. However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “schools closes” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “do some their favourite activities” is missing a grammatical element. The opening sentence also joins two independent ideas with only a comma, and the final sentence beginning “On the other hand” is incomplete. Articles, plurals and sentence boundaries need more consistent control. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using accurate conjunctions and punctuation.

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